DON'T be the boy who cried wolf.

I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day, reading Michelle Obama’s book (which is completely amazing- you must read it) and killing time before salsa practice when I happened to tune in to the conversation happening next to me:

Coffee girl: “So, I hear you’re going to school in fall!”

Coffee guy: “Oh. No. If I told you that, it was a lie. I told a couple people that, but it was a straight up lie.”

Coffee girl: “Wait, it was a lie?”

Coffee guy: “Yeah.”

Coffee girl: “Straight up lie?”

Coffee guy: “Yup.”

Coffee girl: “Wow, well what else have you lied about? Hahaha just kidding.”

Except she wasn’t. They moved on and started talking about whatever else their conversation wandered to, but you could feel the energy drain out of their connection for a second. And some of it won’t come back again. Every time you lie, you’ll be believed that much less by those who are close to you. It changes the threads of trust and respect that hold your relationship together.

You guys. Speak your truth. Whatever it is. I can’t stress this enough. It would have been so much better if coffee guy had told coffee girl, “I don’t know, I’m really scared and I want to enroll in school, but it’s just so much money and I’ve gotten by just fine so far without it, but I keep getting rejected because I don’t have a degree...”

or

“Sh*t, man. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life. I literally have nothing coming up. No prospects. And I’m scared.”

If you’re truly happy and unafraid, you really have no reason to lie. But, even if you’re not truly happy and you ARE afraid, Don’t. Lie. It’s especially important for you to speak your truth when you’re afraid. For yourself and for those around you. Our stories are so, so powerful. You never know what your story, your true story, will spark in someone else. Maybe your words will pull them off a bridge, maybe your words will inspire them to get off their ass and do that thing they’ve always wanted to do, and maybe speaking your truth will make YOU get off your ass and do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. Maybe speaking the truth about your fears will make you see just how small they are and how much you actually should enroll in school. Or not. But, don’t push people away by lying. Stretch your soul out and embrace the world with your words of truth.